Wrench



Dec. 3o, lesb'. v L; D, BMD 1,787,185

WRENCH f Filed April 21, 1928 IN1/EN Tok. Lyn/7@ L?. 9a/ra BY Y AToRNEYs.

Patented Dec. 30, 1930 PATENT GFFICE LYNNE D. BAIRD, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA WRENCH Application led April 21,

My invention relates to wrenches and more particularly to wrenches such as are employed for setting up and disconnecting the couplings that connect adjoining sections of a string of sucker rods used in pumping oil wells.

The principal objects of my invention are to' expedite the connecting and disconnecting of the rod sections of a string of sucker rods,

and to provide wrench-gripping means readily accessible to an operator from a single standing position so that a continuous yrotating motion may be applied to the wrench in effecting a connection or disconnection of a rod coupling.

Further objects of the invention are to provide eective and easily operated jarring` means for applying the linal snap or set up to a coupling, to adapt a wrench for application to various sizes of sucker rod shanks, to provide interchangeable sockets in a wrench member, and to adapt a wrench to elevator functions.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of my` improved wrenches applied to a coupling, the

arrow indicating the direction of rotation of the upper wrenchfor eecting a disconnection.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the wrench, partly broken away to illustrate the mounting of the socket member.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the disassembled wrench members, the wheel being partly broken away for better illustration of the interior of the hub. y

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a sucker rod coupling.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the wrench.

Fig. 7 shows another modified form of the wrench.

Referring in detail to the drawings:

1 designates the upper end portion of .a lstring of tubing which in accordance with oil wellpurnpng practice extends into a well and 1928. Serial No. 271,769. l

is adapted for being fitted at its lower end with a pump (not shown). 2 designates a string of sucker rods extending through the tubing and adapted for connection at its lower end with said pump and at its upper end with a reciprocating means (not shown) positioned at the top of the well.

In employing apparatus of the character above mentioned for pumping oil wells, it is necessary that certain parts of the pump be en removed occasionally for the reconditioning or replacement of worn parts, and the string of sucker rods must be removed beforethe pumping mechanism can be withdrawn.

A string of sucker rods in the illustrative application of the invention is composed of a plurality of sections of uniform length, each section having at one end a threaded pin, such as 3, and at its other end an internally threaded box such as 4 for engaging with the 7o pin of an adjoining section, a number of sections being thus joined together to form a continuous rod extending from the pump to the actuating apparatus at the top of a well.

In removing a string of. sucker rods from a well, each individual section is unscrewed from its engagement with the next lower section, after the section is lifted from the well suiciently to permit the application of wrenches to the squared Shanks 5 and 6 of R0 the respective coupling porti-ons of the rods.

In. order that the connecting and disconnecting of the rod sections may be easily and quickly accomplished, I provide a wrench 7 comprising a supporting member 8 preferably S5 consisting of a wheel having a rim 9, hub 10, radial support spokes 11 and spaced parallel guide spokes or arms 12, the rim being broken at 13 by the passage 14' formed by the spaced guide spokes 12 to. admit the squared shank of a coupling into the hub of the wheel.

The hub 10 is eccentrically located with relation to the circular rim 9 and the opening 15 in the hub is .counterbored at its ends to provide lower and upper shouldered recess portions 16 and 17, therecesses being concentric with the opening 15. 1

Projecting laterally into the opening 15 of the huby from the arcute wall 18 thereof is a stop ing or boss 19 having an arcuate wall 20, the boss being located directly opposite t the passage 14 and the end faces 21 of the boss being taperedV outwardly and providing stop elements adapted for engagement by a socket member 22 presently described to stop the rotation of the same with respect to the hub.

T he socket member 22 comprises an arcuate bearing portion 23 adapted to lit within the wall of the boss 19 and a bottom flange formed integrally and concentrically with the bearingportion and adapted to fit within the lower counterbore portion 16 of the opening 15.

The socket member is further provided with stop ears 25 formed integrally with the bearing portion 23 and flange 24, the ears having radial faces 26 adapted for engaging said tapered end faces 21 on the opposite ends of the boss 19, the peripheral vertical surfaces 27 of the ears being formed in arcs to lit rotatably within the arcuate wall 18 of the opening 15. A squared vertical socket-like lopening 28 inthe socket member 22 is adapted for alignment with the passage 14 between the guide Y spokes 12 of the wheel.

`A retainer plate 29 fitting rotatably into the upper counterbored portion 17 of the hub is provided to cooperate with the flange 24 of the socket member 22 to retain the ,socket member in assembled condition with the wheel, the platebeing secured to the soci*- et member by screws 30 extending through openings 31 in the plate and into threaded openings 32 in the top side of the socket member.

The retainer'plate 29 is further provided with a square opening 33eXtending thereinto from the edge thereof for registering with the squared opening 28 in the socket member 22.

Formed on the top face of the plate' 29 adjacent its edge and opposite to the Opeliing 33 is a boss 34 whereby the socket may be manually rotated in the wheel Vfor registering the squared opening in the socket withY the passage 14 so that a coupling may be applied in the Wrench.

Assuming a wrench to be Vconstructed and assembled as described, its loperation is as follows:

y Referring toFig. 3, the socket of the wrench is shown in a position of alignment with the passage 14 in the Wheel so that the squared shank of a coupling may be received therein. Referring now to the upper wheel in Fig. 1, the wheel is positioned over the squared shank 6 so that the coupling extends axially through the wheel, and the wheel is rotated either clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on whether the coupling4 is to be connected Vto or disconnected from the coupling 3. As-

- 'suming that the coupling 4 is to be disconnected, the wheel is rotated anti-clockwise as indicatedin said gure, and. will rotate idly from the position shown in Fig. 3 until the face 21 of the boss 19 collides with one of the ears 25. By rotating the wheel to and fro, ajarring elfect is created as the bossI 19 and ears 25 arrive in engagement and thus the unscrewing of a set up7 coupling may be started should the coupling fail to yield to a steady pressure applied to the wheel.

Two of the wrenches may be applied in connecting or disconnecting a coupling, one being' employed to engage the lower shank and rest on the end of the tubing for supporting the string of rods, the upper wrench being used as a jarring means for snapping or setting up a coupling in making a connection or for starting the unscrewing of the lioints in the socket when one of the faces 21 of the boss 19 is engaged by one of the ears 25 of the socket member.

ln the modified forms of wrenches shown in Figs. 6 and 7,- the socket member 22 heretofore described is applied in one of the holding members 35 and 36 having hub openings 37 identical to the opening 15 described in connection with the wheel wrench 7.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coupling wrench, a support comprising a circular hub and a radial handle, the hub having concentric ,recesses at the upper and lower ends of its central opening, a socket member comprising a body rotatable in the central hub opening and an integral flange seated in one of said recesses, a plate seated in the other hub recess and fixed to the-body to retain the socket member rotatably in the hub, and means for limiting the rotation of the socket member with .respect to the hub, the hub and socket member being provided with openings to admit a coupling to the socket member.

2. In a coupling wrench, a support comprising a circular hub and a radial handle, the hub having concentric recesses at the upper and lower ends ofits central Opening and a lateral opening, a socket member having a radial socket alignable with .said lateral opening and comprising a body rotatable in the central hub opening having a flange seated in one of said recesses and lateral ears, a plate seated in the other hub recess and iiXed to the body to retain the socket member rotatably in the hub, and a boss on'said hub engageable with said socket member ears to limit the rotation of the socket member with respect to the hub. e

3. In a wrench of the character described., an operating member including a hub having an annular opening and a concentric recess in said opening, a radial passageway leading to said opening, a socket member including a body rotatable in the opening `and having an integral flange seated in said recess, a plate Xed to the socket member opposite the flange and engaging the hub to retain the socket member rotatably in the hub, said plate and socket member having openings complementary to the passageway, andmeans :for limiting` rotation of the socket member within the hub.

4. In a wrench of the character described, an operating member including a hub having an annular opening and a concentric recess in said opening, a radial. passageway leading 10 to said opening, a socket member including a body rotatable in the opening and having an integral flange seated in said recess, a plate fixed to the socket member opposite the flange and engaging the hub to retain the socket 15 member rotatably in the hubysaid plate and socket member having openings complementary to the passageway, and means for limiting rotation of the socket member within the hub, comprising a boss extending into the an- 30 nular opening and ears on the socket member engageable .with said boss.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

LYNN E D. BAIRD. 

